Chain applicator for automobiles



April 8 1924. 1,489,963

E. E. PEARRE CHAIN APPLICATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES FiledMaroh 31, 1923 3Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ZZZ PCZ/V' BY W ATOR A ril 8 192% maww E. E.PEARRE CHAIN APPLICATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed March 31, 1923 FatentedApr. 14.

CH APPLIGATGB F AUTGEIQBILES.

' Application filed time at, rem. serial no. team. a

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ennnn'r Es'rrn PEARRE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residin at Fulton, in the county of Callaway and tate ofMissouri, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in ChainApplicators for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to im rovements in devices for appl ing anti-skichains to the tires of motor driven vehicles while the vehicle is inmotion, and has for one of its objects to im rove the construction andincrease the e ciency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhereby the chains may be quickly applied while the vehicle is in motionand without the necessity for the operator to dismou or handle thechains, and whereby the chains may be simultaneously applied to bothrear wheels and without removing the wheels.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich may be adapted to motor driven vehicles of various forms andconstruction and size, and without material change either in theapparatus or in the vehicle.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointedout in the claims, and in the drawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is aside elevation of a suficient portion of an automobile structure torepresent the construction and application of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view, of the structure illustrated in Figure 1, butincluding both sides of the automobile.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on the line H of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a lon 'tudinal section of the structure shown in igures 3and a.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail in section on the line 77 of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a lan view of one of the yieldable clamp evices forinitially holdlng thechain upon thewheel, rim and tire.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the chain, detached, and on a smaller scalethan the remaining fi ures.

Fi re 0 is a detached detail of the coup ing yoke device of the windingchain.

In the drawings rtions of the right and left hand runnlng boards arerepresented at 10, a portion of the floor of the body at 11, the tiresof the rear wheels at 12, the rims of the rear wheels at 13, the rearaxle casing at 14, and a part of one of the fenders at 15, these partsbeing of the usual and conventional construction.

The improved device which is the subject matter of the present inventionincludes a casing 16 supported respectively upon the running boards 10at their rear ends and close to the tenders, as shown. The casingscontain the mechanism for holding the chains when not in use, and one ofthe casings will be arranged upon each of the running boards, but asthey are alike except that they are rights and lefts, the descri tion ofone will sufice for both.

ounted for rotation throu h each of the casings 16 is. a main shaft 1.having one end extending beyond the casing and of other form than round,and provided with a crank 18 by which it may be rotated from outside thecasing.

Mounted upon each of the shafts 17, within the casing and rotativetherewith is a hollow outer drum 19, and mounted loosely upon each ofthe shafts within each of the outer drums is an inner drum 20 andsurrounding each shaft within each smaller drum is a spring 21 attachedat one end to the shaft and at the other end to the inner drum.

A ratchet disk 22 is formed on one end of each of the outer drums, and ayieldable member 23 is attached at one end at 24 to the adjacent wall ofthe casing and limited in movement in one direction by a stop pin 25attached to the casing. Extending through one wall of the casin is astub shaft 26 having an operating Fever 27 on the outer end and a pawl28 on the inner end within the casin and in position to engage theratchet. t its larger end the pawl 28 is formed with two flat surfaces29 and 29' adapted to alternately engage the adjacent art of theyieldable member 23 and thus hol the pawl yieldably in either operativeor inoperative position. By this means the shaft 26 may be rotated torelease the pawl from the ratchet and yieldably held disconnected fromthe ratchet by the action of the flat end of the pawl bearing againstthe member 23, or held in yieldable engagement with the ratchet teeth bthe same means, as will be obvious. T e paw1 215 may thus be held out ofaction b disposing the shaft 26 in one position or eld 1n 0perativeosition relative to the ratchet wheel 22 by isposing the shaft inanother position.

One of the non-skid chains is represented in distended position inFigure 9, and com rises spaced side portions 30 and connectmg transverseportions 31 of the usual con-: struction.

At its ends and at one or more intermediate oints the chain members 30are connects to clip devices adapted to automatically couple the chainmembers 30 to the rim 13 and the tire casing 12. One of the clip devicesis re resente enlarged in Figure 8, each being ormed of a yoke portion32 conforming substantially to the outer transverse face of the tirecasing 12 and with the terminals 33 bent to conform substantially to theouter transverse faces of the beads of the rim 13.

The clip portion 32 is thickened at the outer portion and the sideportion reduced toward the rim engaging portions 33, as shown moreparticularly in Figure '8, so that the sides of the clip devices willyield laterally and enable them to be forced over the tire casing fromthe outside and engage the rim and be held coupled thereto by friction,as will be obvious.

One of the terminal clip devices is formed with a segmental portion 34conforming to the outer portion of the tire casing and coupled to thebody of the clip by arms 35. Each of the arms 35 terminates in anoutwardl directed latch portion 36 with which the ot er terminal clip eages as the chains are engaged around the tire casing and thusautomatically lock the same to the tire casin% as will be hereafterexplained.

xtending transversely of the vehicle is a rod 37 projecting at its endsinto both of the casings 16 and thence directed rearwardly as shown at38 and each terminating in a yoke device 39. Rising from each side ofeach of the portions 32 is an ear 40, each ear having an aperture orseat to receive one of the inturned ends 41 of the yoke 39, and thusyieldably couple the yokes to the clips. The inturned terminals 41 areinclined at one side and at right angles to the bodies of the pokes atthe other side.

By t is arrangement the sides of the yokes will be distended when forcedover the clip and the terminals 41"snap into the sockets in the ears andthus yieldabl couple the yokes to the cli the straig t or right angledsides of t e terminals enabling the Attached at one end at 42 to thesmaller' drum 20 is a smaller chain 43 adapted to be wound upon thesmaller drum by the action of'the spring 21, as shown in Figure 3.

Attached to the outer end of the smaller chain 43 is a yoke device 44having inturned terminals 45 adapted to yieldably engage in the socketsin the cars 40 of the other terminal clip as indicated in Figures 3 and5.

Preferably an anti-friction roller 47 will be located within the outerdrum in position to guide the smaller chain 43 in-its movement.

Pivoted at 48 in the floor 11 at a convenient point to the operator, isa lever 49, the lower end of the lever being coupled at 50 to the rod 37by a link rod 51. By this means the operator can operate the device fromhis seat and without halting the vehicle.

With an apparatus thus constructed the operation is as follows:

Initially the main chains 30-31 are wound upon the outer drum 19 and theterminal clips connected respectively to the yoke devices 39 and 44.

The outer terminal clip is thus disposed just within the casing 16 andopposite an opening 52 in the casin s and also opposite a small opening53 in t e fenders 15. The chains 30-31 are thus entirely concealed andprotected from the elements when not in use.

When the chains are to be applied to the tirev casings, the operatormerely actuates the lever 49 to cause the link rod 50 to move the roddevices 37-38 rearwardly which movement causes the yoke devices 32 toproject the outer terminal clips into engagement with the tire casings,and carrying the chains 30-31 with them and unwinding said chains fromthe larger drum 19 and rotating the latter with it through theconnection of the other terminal clip with the smaller chain 43. As thevehicle moves forwardly the chain 30-31 is wound around the tire casing.

The outer drum 19 will be so proportioned that when revolved to asufiicient extent to bring the other terminal clip opposite the openings52-53, the opening 54 in the outer drum through which the yoke 44 if thesmaller chain projects will be also opposite the openings 52 and 53,hence the other terminal clip will be drawn outwardly by the motion ofthe vehicle wheels and coupled to the tire casing in close proximity tothe first clip, the final movement of the last clip causing its sidestobe distended and pass over the latch devices 35 and thus be coupledanes to the first clip and correspondingly lock the terminal clipstogether and also lock the chain 303l upon the tire casing. As thewheels continue to revolve the yoke devices 44 will be forcibly releasedand the chains 43 returned to the casing by the reaction of the spring21.

By this simple means the chains 3031 can be quickly appliedsimultaneously to the rear tire casings and without being handled by theoperator and without stopping the forward movement of the vehicle.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be manufactured at asmall expense and enclosed in relatively small casings mounted upon therunning boards of the vehicle in close proximity to the rear fenders, asshown, and will not detract from the appearance ofmhe vehicle, orencumber the latter in any manner.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawingsand set forth in the specification, but it will be understood thatmodifications within the scope of the claimed invention may be made inthe construction without departing from the principle of the inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a supporting shaft, anouter drum mounted to rotate with said shaft, an inner drum loose uponsaid shaft, a flexible element attached at one end to said inner drumand adapted to be wound thereon, a spring operating to maintain saidflexible element normall wound upon said innor drum, an anti-s 'd tirechain adapted to be initially wound upon said outer drum, clip devicesconnected to the opposite ends of said chain, means for locking saidclip devices together upon a tire casing, a yoke device detachablycoupled to one of said clip devices and to the free end of said flexibleelement, a yoke device detachably coupled to the other clip device, andmeans operative to force said last mentioned clip device into engagementwith the tire casing and the rim 0 a wheel.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, an enclosing casing, asupporting shaft mounted in said casing, an outer drum mounted to rotatewith said shaft, an inner drum loose upon said shaft, a flexible elementattached at one end to said inner drum and adapted to be wound thereon,a spring operating to maintain said flexible element noll wound uponsaid inner drum, an anti-ski tire chain adapted to be initially wound uon said outer d, clip devices connecte to the opposite ends of saidchain,

means for locking said clip devices together upon a tire casing, a yokedevice detachably coupled to one of said clip devices and to the freeend of said flexible element, a yoke device detachably coupled to theother clip device, a push rod connected to said last mentioned yokedevice, and means for actuating said push rod to force said lastmentioned cli device into engagement with the tire casing and the rim ofa wheel.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising a supporting shaft, anouter drum mounted to rotate with said shaft, an inner drum loose uponsaid shaft, 9. flexible element attached at one end to said inner drumand adapted to be wound thereon, a spring operating to maintain saidflexible element normally wound upon said inner drum, an anti-skid tirechain adapted to be initially wound upon said outer drum, clip devicesconnected to the opposite ends of said chain and each provided withyieldablevfingers to detachably engage the flanges of a wheel rim, meansfor locking said clip devices together upon a tire casing, a yoke devicedetachably coupled to one of said clip devices and to the free end ofsaid flexible element, a yoke device detachably coupled to the otherclip device, and means operative to force said last mentioned clipdevice over the tire casing and the yieldable fingers over the flangesof the rim of a wheel. I

4-. In an apparatus of the class described, an enclosing casing, asupporting shaft mounted in said casing, an outer drum mounted to rotatewith said shaft, an inner drum loose upon said shaft, a flexible elementattached at one end to said inner drum and adapted to be wound thereon,a spring operating to maintain said. flexible element normally woundupon said inner drum, an anti-skid tire chain adapted to be initiallywound u on said outer drum, clip devices connecte to the op osite endsof said chain, a ratchet disk carried by said outer drum, a stop pawlswinging upon said casing in position to engage said ratchet, means forolding said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet, means for lockingsaid clip devices to ther upon a tire casing, a yoke device etachablycoupled to one of said clip devices and to the free end of said flexibleelement, a yoke device detachably coupled to the other clip device, andmeans operative to force said last mentioned chp no I device intoengagement with the tire casing ture hereto.

ELBERT ESTIL PEAR 2'

